Newsblog

We've been told that our background graphic doesn't stretch the full width of the screen on some browsers, particularly older ones. Oops! Software for the instrument package takes priority, of course, but we'll fix it soon.

We're waiting for a few items to arrive - to be exact, our balloons, our parachute and a natty GPS receiver. Oh, and a load of high-tensile twine to tie everything together.

We've found a lighter-weight substitute for Jablite, made by Springvale. As soon as we've an MPV spare, we'll go and collect.

Some problems have emerged with the Traveler (sic) stills cameras and video camera.

The video camera simply refuses to work unless its flip-out LCD screen is flipped out and switched on. Not good for battery duration. If you fold the screen whilst it's videoing, it turns itself off. AARRGGHH! We've tried dismaltling it with a view to defeating the flip-out switch, the LCD power or (ideally) both, but we've got to the point where we'd have to wreck the casing. It's a touch over 200gm anyway, so perhaps we can use more of the lighter-weight Traveler XS 4000 cameras instead.

Talking of the cameras, they've got their annoyances, too. They've a handy interval photo mode that can be programmed to take pictures (with the LCD off - WIN!) at intervals of 10s, 30s, 1m, and so on. Unfortunately, they've got a tendency to use the flash, even if it's been set OFF. The USB connection (we were hoping to keep charge topped up from reserve power) doesn't seem to understand "charge only", and insists that it must be connected to a PC, even if it's just to a charger. We do have a fallback of USB-connecting the cameras to the CCP, and snapping shots webcam-style. We're working on reverse-engineering the USB protocols, so that we can drive it. More to come...